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AP: James O'Keefe denied permission to travel outside New Jersey

By FZ - Posted on 25 May 2011

May 25, 2011- A federal magistrate in New Orleans has refused to let conservative activist James O'Keefe make several trips outside New Jersey while he's on probation for a case in which he was accused of trying to tamper with the phones in Sen. Mary Landrieu's office.

Last week, O'Keefe asked for permission from Magistrate Daniel Knowles III to attend a conference in Washington, travel to Charleston, S.C., and Baltimore for paid speeches and make several personal trips to Maryland.

Knowles, who denied that request Monday without explanation, had approved several previous requests by O'Keefe to travel outside New Jersey. O'Keefe's attorney, Michael Madigan, said in court papers that prosecutors and his client's probation officer didn't object to his latest request.

On Tuesday, Madigan said he hadn't seen Monday's order.

"All his prior travel had been approved," Madigan said. "Obviously, the young man needs to travel to make a living."

O'Keefe and three others pleaded guilty last year to misdemeanor charges of entering federal property under false pretenses.

The FBI has said O'Keefe used his cell phone to try to capture video of two others who posed as telephone repairmen and asked to see the phones at Landrieu's office. O'Keefe has said the group was trying to investigate complaints that constituents calling Landrieu's office couldn't get through to criticize the Democrat's support of a health care reform bill.

O'Keefe is famous for wearing a pimp costume in a video that embarrassed the community organizing group ACORN. Knowles sentenced him last May to three years of probation, 100 hours of community service and a $1,500 fine.